NHS Confederation joins care sector to raise concerns about social care funding

22 Sep 2015 11:37 AM

The NHS Confederation has highlighted concerns about the impact that ongoing funding uncertainty in social services would have on patients and on the NHS.

It raised these concerns in its submission to the Spending Review and has joined forces with three care organisations to highlight the issue:

• ​Association of Directors of Adult Social Services
• Care Provider Alliance
• Care and Support Alliance​

Rob Webster, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: “Funding for health and social care is no longer keeping pace with public demand and it’s vital that this doesn’t put patients at risk. These services desperately need a sustainable, long-term financial settlement to avoid a real crisis and to help them plan and invest as wisely as possible. We have called for that commitment from the Treasury – including appropriate funding for social care. Having a shiny NHS cog will be no good in a broken health and care machine.

“Eighty-seven per cent of NHS leaders told us they want a five-year financial commitment from the Government on health and social care. And ninety-two per cent said funding cuts in social care were also having a negative knock-on effect on their own organisations and their services for patients.

“All these services are interconnected and all need greater financial certainty to build the new models of care outlined in NHS England’s Five Year Forward View."